The Freeling family is a typical middle class family living in the peaceful Cuesta Verde Estates. Steve, his wife Diane, 16-year-old daughter Dana, 8-year-old Robbie, and 5-year-old Carol Ann live in a tract house. Soon strange things begin to happen around the house; the pet canary dies, mysterious storms occur, and Carol Ann is summoned to the TV set, where a strange shaft of green light hits her and causes the room to shake. As the curious events...

It is the middle of the 21st century. Extremely sophisticated robots do everything from nannying to prostitution, supplying the illusion of feeling, but true emotion has eluded the android builders. Until Professor Hobby builds David, a robot boy who can really love. In the same manner that some people substitute pets for more demanding human relationships, the Swinton's try to fill the void left by the illness (and subsequent cryogenic animation)...